Sauna and steam baths of a multiplicity of designs in general are well known. They may be designed and constructed for simultaneous use by one or more individuals.
Baths for general use may be built into the interior of, for example, health clubs. Such installations are generally known as fixed saunas (Fin-saunas) being constructed primarily of wood, and being permanently installed in institutions and homes alike. Fixed saunas are expensive to install and once installed cannot be relocated without great expense. Further, in fixed saunas, individuals with health problems, for example, asthma or high blood pressure, must be extremely cautious in protecting themselves from overexposure. Disinfecting a wooden sauna is also a very difficult task.
Alternatively, vapour baths designed for the individual are also available and known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. Design 189,951 discloses such a "Steam Bath Cabinet" which has a very simple appearance. U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,981 at the other end of the spectrum of units available, describes very elaborate "Bathing Devices" having a multiplicity of components. Many such devices exist in varying degrees of complexity, dating as far back as 1866 as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 55,194, disclosing a vapour bath of extremely simple structure but having a questionable efficiency. Improvements were introduced with U.S. Pat. No. 158,022 which fully enclosed the individual in a cabinet, but said cabinet was no longer portable. Thence, U.S. Pat. No. 348,923 and Canadian Pat. No. 44,836 evolved. Many attempts have been made to improve such baths, developing much more complex structures, for example, British Pat. No. 1,058,731, U.S. Pat. No. 3,009,165, Canadian Pat. No. 927,051, British Pat. Nos. 1,418,856, 1,041,115 and United Kingdom Patent Application No. 2,063,665.
Applicant is also aware of application No. 3,139,930 which is before the German Patent Office and covers the same subject matter, which teaches a portable sauna bath structure similar in construction to U.S. Pat. No. Design 189,951, marketed by "Sauna Fit" within the country.
However, in spite of all the aforementioned teachings, a void currently exists within the technology for a fully portable, lightweight, economical and transportable vapour bath which is efficient, yet simple to operate and disinfect, which is not taught within any of the aforementioned references cited.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a portable vapour bath which is simple to use yet efficient in design and requiring no installation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a vapour bath which is fully portable requiring no permanent or temporary piping connected thereto.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a vapour bath that is safe to use having all electrical connections external to the occupied bath unit itself, wherein one does not feel confined or oppressed while using the bath.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a vapour bath that is lightweight in construction, yet rugged in design.
It is also a further object of this invention to provide a vapour bath having effective contoured shaping, making efficient use of steam even at remote extremities of the body while allowing for the comfort of even the largest of individuals.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a vapour bath wherein the user's head is precluded allowing a continual supply of fresh air to the lower extremities of the body.
Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent to a man skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the invention and the more detailed embodiments of the invention illustrated herein.